


gone away (the new moon remix)

by soulofme



Series: the twilight saga: sheith [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Twilight Fusion, Book: New Moon, Full Shift Werewolves, M/M, Some angst, Useless Vampires, also let friends be friends StePHANIE, i guess lance is jacob but there aren't any love triangles, i'm not in the mood for that lol, now introducing weREWOLVES, sorry lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:02:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24098515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soulofme/pseuds/soulofme
Summary: First, Takashi Shirogane was a vampire.Second, there was a part of him—and Keith couldn’t fully explain how strong that was—that probably wanted to suck him dry. And not in the sexy way. In the oh shit, my body has been drained of blood way.And third, Keith was kind of into it (read: really into it).
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Series: the twilight saga: sheith [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1738495
Comments: 3
Kudos: 54





	gone away (the new moon remix)

**Author's Note:**

> i'm really sorry

There were about three things Keith was absolutely sure of.

First, Takashi Shirogane was a vampire.

Second, there was a part of him—and Keith couldn’t fully explain how strong that was—that probably wanted to suck him dry. And not in the sexy way. In the _oh shit, my body has been drained of blood_ way.

And third, Keith was kind of into it (read: _really_ into it).

It made sense, naturally, that all three were connected. It was like Shiro had taken over his life or some shit. It was weird as hell. Weird enough that his mom noticed, but it wasn’t like Keith could say _hey, mom, my boyfriend’s a vampire!_

Krolia was a cool mom, but not _that_ cool. He’d be shipped off to a psychiatrist before he could even fully explain himself. Okay, maybe nothing that drastic. But she’d probably slather him in herbs and conduct a cleansing ceremony.

So, obviously, Keith had no one to talk to this about.

He’d die before he’d tell Lance his ridiculous theory wasn’t a theory anymore. Plus, Lance had a big, fat mouth. He’d tell all of Garrison, and Keith was about ninety percent sure that was a big no. The Modern Vampire PDF said that while vampires could freely mingle in human societies, they couldn’t exactly go around announcing their true nature.

Keith wasn’t an expert on separating vampire fact from fiction, but it sounded legit. Google would lie to him, but not about shit like this. At least, that’s what he hoped. Everything sounded better if he told himself that. Mostly.

It didn’t change the fact that Takashi Shirogane was a goddamn _vampire_. It was making him rethink everything he knew about the world. Here he was, seventeen years old and having an existential crisis.

“…Boo!”

His arm moved before he could stop himself, solidly whacking the person straight in the gut. There was a garbled wheeze, and when the metaphorical dust settled, Keith blinked down at Kuro Shirogane’s hunched-over form.

“Oh, damn,” Keith said, but then he realized he’d just hit the shit out of a _vampire_. Cool shit. Really cool shit, actually. Was there an award for that? A record or something? Because he deserved some fucking recognition.

“What is your problem?” Kuro hissed. Unlike Shiro, his teeth looked like little daggers in his mouth. His eyes flashed gold, making him look like a demon. A pale, injured demon, but still a demon.

“Reflex, sorry,” Keith said, feeling a tiny twinge of guilt. _Tiny_.

Kuro rolled his eyes and stood up straight. They weren’t exactly friends, but it was something close. Kuro at least _liked_ him. That hadn’t been the story a few months ago, though, which he found out Keith and Shiro were kind of a thing. But he’d warmed up to the idea.

Ryou, on the other hand? Keith would have to look into this more, but sometimes it felt like he was trying to eat Keith alive with just a _look_. He’d go as far as to argue that Ryou was the asshole brother, not Kuro, but presenting Pidge with such evidence would require explanations he wasn’t ready to give yet.

Because, you know, _vampires_.

Kuro hopped up onto a moss-covered rock, crouching as he surveyed his surroundings. They were hunting today. Shiro had staunchly refused when Keith asked to come, just to see. But Keith had this lovely thing called free will, which meant he could flip off Shiro’s stupid worries and do what he wanted.

Ryou had agreed with Shiro, though that was probably just to piss Keith off. He was frighteningly good at that. Almost better than _Lance_.

“See anything?” Keith asked, trying not to sound annoyed. Shiro had been worried about one of them accidentally hurting Keith. Somehow, he’d forgotten that boredom would be the real killer here.

“Looks like everything’s hiding,” Kuro said after a moment. He stood up straight and shrugged. “Ryou’s a better hunter, anyway.”

“Hm.”

“What?” Kuro raised an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth pulling up into a smirk. “He’s still getting used to sharing Takashi’s attention, that’s all.”

Keith wrinkled his nose. “I’m not gonna steal him away, you know.”

“Oh, you dumb, naïve human,” Kuro replied, laughing. He reached over to ruffle Keith’s hair. “You already have. Everyone but Takashi’s noticed.”

Keith wasn’t sure what to say to that. In the end, silence seemed like the best answer. He tucked his hands into his pockets and followed Kuro deeper into the forest. Somewhere above them, a bird chirped.

“So, how long have you been like this?”

“Like what?” Kuro asked distractedly, still searching the woods.

“Pale, light-deprived, and blood thirsty.”

“Is that all I am to you?” Kuro joked, narrowing his eyes.

“Sorry, it’s a little hard to look past.”

“I don’t know,” Kuro said, and it took a second for Keith to realize that was the answer to his question. “Time’s not really a concept I understand anymore.”

“That long?”

“Probably,” Kuro said. “I’ve seen a lot of shit.”

“Like the founding of this great nation?”

“Shut up, smartass. Definitely not _that_ old.”

“I guess that’s good.”

“Still way older than you, though,” Kuro added, smiling when Keith rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, and you look it.”

“Hey!” Kuro swung for him without any true intent. If he actually tried, Keith was convinced his head would be smashed to smithereens.

He still tried to dodge though. _Reflex_. It was smooth and cool, until he tripped over an exposed root. He landed hard on his knee, the sharp edge of a rock slicing through his jeans and skinning his knee.

“Shit,” Keith said, standing up. He was brushing dirt off his pants when he felt a presence at his side.

Kuro had his shirt pulled up over his nose, his eyes squeezed shut. It was like he’d smelled literal shit. Keith scowled. Way to make a guy feel self-conscious.

“What?” he snapped.

“Your knee,” Kuro said, voice muffled through his shirt.

Keith looked down at himself. Blood had begun to gather at the cut. A tiny drop of it rolled down, just to get absorbed by his jeans.

Oh, wait.

He was bleeding. In front of a _vampire_.

“Uh…”

“Make it stop,” Kuro growled.

“I can’t just _stop_ it.”

“Well try!”

Kuro stepped closer again. Keith held his ground, even though an itty bitty part of him was scared. He’d dealt with a lot of crap in life, he was sure he could take on a _vampire_.

Kuro’s eyes flashed gold before he lunged for Keith.

Okay, maybe not. Keith didn’t even have time to process it before he was running. His knee throbbed, but that was the least of his problems. He was too young to _die_ , damn it. Especially a gruesome death like this. His mother wouldn’t be able to handle it. It’d probably hurt like a bitch, too. And while he didn’t spend his time imagining his own death, he’d like for it to be relatively painless.

He ran into something solid and very cold. Shiro? Yeah, that was Shiro. He looked confused about why Keith was running, until he looked up at saw Kuro coming at them like a freight train. Someone else grabbed him as Shiro rushed forward, slamming into Kuro and knocking them both to the ground.

They both hissed at each other, fangs out, looking like they might tear the other to pieces. Keith squirmed in Ryou’s hold.

“Let go of me!”

“So you can get yourself killed?” Ryou laughed humorlessly. “Don’t be a fucking idiot.”

Keith struggled some more, even though Ryou’s hands felt like iron shackles around his arms. Kuro was standing menacingly over Shiro, his eyes completely wild. He looked like he’d lost his mind.

And Shiro… _Shiro_ was like nothing Keith had ever seen before. The tendons in his neck stood as he growled warningly at Kuro, pushing him hard enough to crash into a tree. It shook with the force, eventually toppling over and hitting the forest floor. The birds began to chirp in alarm, flying every which way.

But Kuro and Shiro didn’t react. They probably hadn’t even heard.

Shiro had Kuro’s arms pinned down to his side, pressing him down into the ground. Kuro bucked around, legs flailing, but then Shiro put his weight on his knees and held him down. He was speaking, but they were too far away for Keith to hear. Whatever he said was enough to make Ryou go tense behind him.

A few seconds passed. Finally, Shiro stood up. Kuro stayed still, not an inch of him moving. When Keith pulled at Ryou’s hold, he was finally released. Shiro came to a stop in front of them, eyebrows furrowed. He and Ryou exchanged a look that Keith couldn’t quite understand. And then Ryou was gone, probably to check on Kuro.

“Shiro, I—”

“Let’s go.” His voice was quiet. Keith barely heard him.

He swallowed hard, following Shiro out of the woods. They made it back to a clearing, where Shiro stopped and sighed heavily.

“It was just a cut,” Keith said, feeling like he had to explain somehow. “I didn’t…look, nothing happened. He didn’t attack me.”

“But he was going to,” Shiro answered with a severe expression.

“He didn’t, though. I wasn’t being careful and I tripped, that’s all.”

“He could have killed you.”

“But he didn’t!” Keith couldn’t help but to feel frustrated. “I can handle myself, you know.”

“Can you?” Shiro asked, but continued before Keith could formulate a response. “If I wasn’t there, what would’ve happened? Would we even be having this conversation?”

Well, he had him there. Keith crossed his arms over his chest.

“I can handle it.”

Shiro groaned, throwing his head back. “Why are you like this? C’mon. I’m taking you home.”

He wanted to argue, just because, but there wasn’t anything left for Keith to do. Besides, Ryou would probably drag him home by his ear. Better to go with Shiro and be treated decently.

Sometimes, it surprised Keith that the Shirogane’s had a car. Obviously, they needed it to blend in, but they were crazy fast. They could literally run wherever the hell they wanted. Which was cool, in its own way.

“Seatbelt,” Shiro said firmly. Keith rolled his eyes.

“My bike doesn’t have a seatbelt,” he pointed out. When Shiro had first seen his bike, he looked like he was going to pass out. If vampires could even do that.

“Well, we’re not on your bike,” Shiro said, reaching over to pull it across Keith’s body. When he held the steering wheel, it creaked warningly beneath his hands.

Shiro drove in silence, a perpetual frown on his face. Keith chanced a glance over at him every so often, but the expression seemed to be set. It lessened marginally when he pulled into Keith’s driveway. He narrowed his eyes, turning to look accusingly at Keith.

“Your mom’s worried,” he said. “I thought you said you didn’t sneak out of the house?”

“It’s not sneaking out if you use the front door,” Keith said. He unbuckled himself but paused, one hand on the handle. “Hey.”

“Hm?”

“Sorry. About all that.”

Shiro’s expression finally softened. He sat back in his seat, hands hanging limply in his lap.

“When I tell you it’s dangerous, will you listen to me?”

“Honestly?” Keith sucked in a breath. “No. But I get it now.”

“Do you?”

The words felt pointed somehow. Keith found himself floundering, his mind suddenly going blank. He was thankful Shiro couldn’t read his thoughts all of a sudden, but it probably wouldn’t have mattered either way. Shiro could tell he didn’t have a comeback even without that.

“I’m not useless, you know,” he said before he could stop himself. “You act like being human is the worst thing ever. I’m _fine_ , Shiro.”

Shiro clenched his jaw. “I didn’t say that.”

“Yeah, well you didn’t have to,” Keith muttered, getting out. He slammed the door shut extra hard, feeling a hell of a lot like a petulant child as he did.

When his window squeaked open sometime during that night, Keith wiggled down in bed and pretended to be asleep. Shiro was silent as he crept inside, mindful of Krolia sleeping down the hall. Keith didn’t even know he shut the window until the stream of fresh air hitting his face stopped.

Neither of them spoke a word. Keith listened to the sound of his own breaths hitting his pillow. A shadow crossed over his face as Shiro began to pace.

“I know you’re awake.”

Keith sat up in bed. “The door works, you know. We have this thing called a doorbell. People press it when they want to see us. It’s great. Best invention of the century.”

Shiro gave him a blank look, or at least Keith imagined he did. He flicked his lamp on. Not everyone had built-in night vision. Some people were mere _mortals_.

“Jesus, you look like hell.”

If vampires could have bags under their eyes, Shiro would have them. He looked like a shell of the person he usually was, standing with his shoulders slumped in the corner of Keith’s room. He didn’t budge from his spot, not even when Keith scooted over to give him space like he usually did.

“We should talk.”

“Is this about earlier?” he asked, regretting it when Shiro curled in on himself further. “I’m fine. Kuro’s fine, right? So everything’s okay.”

“Okay?” Shiro echoed, as if it was the dumbest shit he’d ever heard. “You think everything is _okay_?”

“Isn’t it?”

“No, it isn’t!”

It was the second time he’d ever seen Shiro angry. The first was earlier with Kuro. He was always so calm. Prone to panic, sometimes, but cool as a cucumber and all that. But he wasn’t anything like that now. He was agitated, keyed up too tight as he began to pace again, hands planted firmly on his hips.

He came to a stop before Keith’s bed, close enough that Keith could reach out and touch him. Something stopped him, though. He twisted his hands in his blanket and met Shiro’s gaze head on.

“You wanted to talk,” he said flatly. “So, _talk_.”

“We’re leaving Garrison.”

The words felt like they were coming in from miles away. Keith wanted to laugh, but Shiro didn’t look anything like he was joking. His chest felt tight then, like someone had his heart in a vice grip.

“What?” His voice was softer than he meant it to be. It felt like he was breathing the word out instead of speaking it.

“I’ve thought about it, before,” Shiro said. He wouldn’t look at Keith’s face. “Right now, this is the best decision. For everyone.”

“No, it’s the best thing for _you_ ,” Keith snapped, his surprise turning into anger. “What are you scared or?”

“Why aren’t _you_ afraid?” Shiro countered. “You have the most to lose out of all of us! You have your entire life ahead of you, and you’re wasting it on _me_.”

“Don’t you dare tell me what to do.”

“What does it matter? You won’t listen anyway. You always do whatever you want, right Keith?”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Keith stood to his feet, feeling very much like punching Shiro in his stupid, strong jaw.

“I’m doing this to protect you,” Shiro answered, sounding wounded. He reached for Keith but stopped at the last second. It hurt, somehow, and Keith wondered if Shiro could sense that. “I know you won’t believe me, but it’s true. I’d never lie to you.”

Keith sat down hard on the edge of the bed.

“So that’s it? You’re gonna leave and I’m supposed to be okay with it?”

“Your safety is non-negotiable.”

It was infuriating to hear. Keith blew out a steady breath and grinded his teeth.

“You don’t get to decide what’s safe for me.”

Shiro didn’t respond. A cold hand touched his cheek, and Shiro’s lips followed soon after. It was barely noticeable.

“I’m sorry,” Shiro said, sounding like he meant it.

“But not enough to stay.”

“I can’t, Keith,” Shiro said gently, as if that could somehow soften the blow. He stepped towards the window. “Consider this as me returning your freedom.”

“You make it sound like you trapped me for the past few months.”

“Who knows,” Shiro began, hefting the window up. “Maybe I did.”

And then, just like that, he was gone.

It took a week for the school to question the Shirogane’s absence.

Everyone had more or less figured out that this was beyond their usual hiking trips. People whispered about it like there was nothing better to talk about. There wasn’t, mostly because Garrison was as dry as the deserts you could find in it, but that didn’t mean Keith wanted to hear about it day in and day out.

Lance, of course, seemed the most curious. At lunch, he munched obnoxiously at an apple, forehead creased as he thought. Keith figured it was difficult for him.

“Maybe someone found out their secret,” he said, stroking his chin in thought. “Maybe they had to move ‘cause they got threatened?”

“Threatened for what? Existing?” Pidge replied.

“They had to return to the mothership,” Hunk offered. “And now they’re gonna go fight a space war on some, like, giant blue lion.”

“A blue lion?” Lance echoed, blinking. “What the hell?”

“Oh, like your theory makes sense,” Hunk shot back, surprisingly testy. Keith was kind of impressed.

“It doesn’t matter,” he found himself saying. Everyone looked at him with rapt attention. “They’re not coming back.”

“Oh yeah? How do _you_ know?” Lance said. “Maybe they’re expanding their hunting range—”

“No,” Keith said, voice hard. “They’re fucking gone, Lance.”

He sounded far too upset for someone who was supposed to not have any connection to them. But it was impossible to hide his feelings. It always had been. Keith would try and try, but somehow, they’d escape without his permission. Usually in the form of anger, stemming from frustration directed at no one other than himself.

It was what he felt now, when Shiro inevitably crept into his mind again. He was angry he was gone. He was angry that he’d given up, just that like. But more than anything, Keith was angry that he’d been why Shiro had left. If they had met, things would be different. Life would be easier.

They’d both be happier.

The thought stung, in the way the truth usually tended to. Keith tried to not think about it too much, but it was impossible not to when it was like a neon sign flashing in front of his eyes.

“Okay,” Pidge said, dragging the word out. “Let’s talk about something else, hm?”

They moved on to another topic, but Keith was so distracted by his own thoughts that he couldn’t even contribute. When the bell rang for their next class, Keith lingered behind the group. Once his friends turned the corner, he went in the opposite direction towards the back exit.

He needed to get away. From his own thoughts, from his memories, from anything that slightly resembled Shiro. He wanted to forget, even if it was for a little while. He wanted—no, _needed_ —to pretend that all of this was some stupid dream. That would be easier to understand than recognizing that this shit was _real_.

He took his motorcycle out on a back road. There was nothing other than the hum of the engine. Even his own head was blissfully blank, for once. He closed his eyes and went faster, fast enough that the wind whipped against his face.

After a while, he couldn’t feel the pain anymore.

“Keith?”

Krolia stuck her head into his room. It was Saturday, or maybe Sunday. The days were beginning to blend together.

Keith flopped onto his other side.

“What?” he muttered into his arm.

“Lance is here to see you,” she said. “Should I tell him to leave?”

“Lance?” Well, that was surprising. “For what?”

“I think he’s worried about you,” his mother answered.

Shit. That was a problem. When Lance worried, he got nosy.

“I’m fine, Mom.”

“Right,” she said, sounding like she thought that was bullshit. It was, but Keith didn’t want to talk about it. “I’ll tell him to come up, okay?”

She stepped away before Keith could say anything in the negative. A minute or so later, Lance gingerly stepped into his room. He rocked back and forth on his heels, eyes darting between Keith and the absolute disaster his room had become.

“Hey, buddy,” he said slowly, clearing his throat. “What’s up?”

“What do you want?”

“You’ve been acting weird,” Lance said, getting right to the point. Sometimes he _wasn’t_ a pain in the ass. “Like, _really_ weird. You’re so moody, but even worse than before!”

“Okay.”

“So I wanted to see what’s going on,” Lance added, plopping onto Keith’s bed without an invitation. “You can tell me anything, you know. We’re best friends.”

“Best friends?” That was news to him.

“Uh, duh? We’ve known each other forever,” Lance explained, looking like he couldn’t understand why Keith would think they weren’t. “I’m here for you, man. Honestly.”

Even though he hadn’t been around Lance for _years_ , Keith could still tell when he was bullshitting. Now wasn’t one of those times, which was surprising only because Keith wasn’t sure he knew someone other than his parents that actually gave a shit about what happened to him.

“Shiro,” Keith began, but his next words got stuck in his throat. He took a deep breath and tried again. “We, kinda…”

“Wait,” Lance said, twisting to face Keith head-on. “Were you a thing?”

“Uh, yeah. Sure.”

“Whoa,” Lance whispered, totally in awe. “No wonder you look like _that_.”

“Like _what_ , exactly?” Keith asked hotly. Lance threw up his hands defensively.

“Like nothing! Who said anything? Not me!” He babbled like he usually did when he was nervous. At least he was consistent.

Unlike some people.

“You know, I remember my first break up,” Lance said, flopping backwards onto the bed. “Still hurts like hell.”

“I can’t imagine anyone who’d want to date you.”

“Yeah? Well tell that to Allura,” Lance said, tongue sticking out and all. It was so achingly familiar that Keith felt microscopically better. _Microscopically_.

“You definitely brainwashed her or some shit.”

“Fuck you, Kogane.”

He shoved playfully at his shoulder, which roused a laugh from him. They both seemed to be surprised by the sound.

“Why’d Shiro leave?” Lance asked them, looking serious for the first time _ever_.

“He doesn’t think I’m safe around him,” Keith said, and it annoyed him even more to say the words himself.

“So…he left to protect you? From what?”

“Himself, apparently.”

“Huh?”

Keith sighed, rolling his eyes. “Your stupid theory? Not a theory.”

“No fucking way!” Lance crowed, his eyes big and bright. “ _What_? You made me feel like an idiot about that, but I’m _right_?”

“Shut up,” Keith growled, kicking at his thigh. Lance yelped, but had a dopey grin on his face.

“I can’t believe they’re _real_ ,” Lance said, looking like he was going into shock. “Like holy shit, bro. That’s _cool_.”

“Yeah. Until they dump you.”

“I forgot about that,” Lance mumbled sheepishly. “Shiro didn’t say anything else?”

“No. Just that he was leaving.”

“Oh.” A pause. “I’m sorry, Keith.”

“It’s not your fault,” Keith said, snorting. “He left because of _me_.”

“But he didn’t do it to hurt you, right?” Lance asked, like he was trying so damn hard to see the bright side. “I mean, you know him better than I do.”

“No,” Keith said sourly. “I don’t know him at all.”

“I’m gonna be honest, none of my past break-ups included hot vampires. I’m out of my element here, dude.”

It was dumb enough to be kind of funny. Keith chuckled at it, even though he really didn’t want to. It made Lance preen like he’d just done some great act of charity. Oh, well. Keith would give him his five seconds of glory.

“Hey, don’t worry!” Lance said, spreading his arms out wide. “Welcome to Lance’s Break-up Recovery Camp!”

“Your _what_ now?”

“Stop frowning, sheesh,” Lance muttered, reaching over to press his thumb hard against Keith’s forehead. “You’re gonna look like a raisin before you’re thirty.”

“Lance, what the fuck—”

“You and I? We’re gonna have a _good_ time,” Lance continued, throwing an arm around Keith’s shoulders. “Remember this: you’re a strong independent man who don’t need another man. Even when he’s six foot _gorgeous_.”

“Lance?”

“Yes, my dear friend?”

“Shut the fuck up.”

Lance’s Break-up Recovery Camp (that was going to become _really_ fucking annoying) wasn’t a camp. Or even legitimate. Really, it was an excuse for Lance to drag Keith around town in the name of “moving on”.

But it actually wasn’t the worst thing Keith experienced. Which was shocking, and something he was definitely going to keep to himself. Lance didn’t need any bigger of an ego than he already had. His head would probably explode.

So far, they’d gone cliff-diving, desert exploring, and shopping (Lance’s favorite). There were bike rides (Lance had screamed his lungs out), movies (Keith had never been so bored), and a bunch of other stuff Keith couldn’t be bothered to remember.

The thing that stuck with him, though, was that he didn’t hate spending time with Lance. When he wasn’t pissing Keith off to no end, he was a good friend. A great one, even. He actually cared, which was kind of nice. Keith hated to admit it, but he was enjoying the time they spent together. Even more so when Pidge and Hunk tagged along with them. They didn’t know about Shiro, and Keith figured they didn’t need to. It had been weeks, almost a month since he’d left. It’d be weird to bring it up now.

That was another thing. Keith still thought about it. He was frustrated and confused, but it wasn’t as bad as before. He could feel himself returning to who he usually was. Even Krolia had noticed it. Things weren’t back to normal, but they were becoming easier.

Today, Keith was waiting outside of Lance’s house. A few days ago, they’d had to cut a shopping trip short because he’d caught a sudden fever. No one had heard from him since. He lived closest to Lance, so Pidge and Hunk had picked him to make sure Lance didn’t die in his sleep. Hopefully he hadn’t, because Keith would _almost_ miss him if he did.

A scream sounded from behind him. Keith jumped, but relaxed when he saw it was just Lance’s younger sisters playing together. They’d grown a lot since Keith last saw them. They were probably at least in third grade by now.

“Hi Keith!” One of them, Rachel, called. Her twin sister Ester tugged on her ponytail, forcing Rachel’s attention back to her.

“Hey,” Keith said with a small wave. He didn’t expect her to still remember him.

It was then that the door opened. Lance’s oldest sister Veronica’s eyes widened when she caught sight of him.

“Keith!” she said, pulling him into a hug before he could prepare himself. “Whoa, look at you!”

“I don’t look that different,” Keith mumbled, but Veronica just laughed.

“You’re not a little boy anymore, huh?” she said, pinching his cheek. Keith swatted her hand away. “Lance said you were back, but I’ve been so busy with work I haven’t gotten a chance to stop by. Your mom and I used to get brunch when you were up with your dad.”

“Huh? Really?”

“She’s my idol,” Veronica said with a sigh. Keith wanted to puke. What was it with the McClain’s and his poor, unsuspecting mother?

“Uh, okay. Is Lance around?”

A weird expression crossed over Veronica’s face.

“Oh,” she said softly. “Um, yeah. But he’s—”

“It’s fine.” A voice behind Veronica said.

When she turned, Marco stepped forward. He was the oldest of all of the McClain children. Lance practically worshipped the ground he walked on growing up. He looked considerably older than the last time Keith saw him. He’d bulked up a lot, too. His muscles probably could compete against Shiro’s (okay, not the time). Keith was a little intimidated.

The smile he gave Keith was friendly, though.

“He’s in his room,” Marco said, ushering Keith inside. “He’s probably going crazy in there. Mama’s got him on lockdown.”

“He’s that contagious?”

“Sure,” Marco said with a chuckle. “Let’s say that.”

Keith decided he didn’t want to know. Even now, the McClain’s house was still familiar to him. He expertly turned the corner, knocking on Lance’s door without hesitation.

“Come in,” Lance croaked weakly.

Keith stepped in, whistling when he saw nothing but a lump of blankets in the center of the bed. The room reeked of stale sweat. Keith frowned. Was this what his mom meant when she said his room smelled like teenage boy?

“Hey,” Keith said, kicking the lump. It groaned. “You alive in there?”

“Keith?” Lance’s head popped out of his blanket cocoon. “What are you doing here?”

“Pidge and Hunk volunteered my services,” Keith said, tucking his hands into his pockets. “Where the hell have you been?”

“It’s a long story,” Lance said. Judging by how he looked, Keith didn’t doubt it. He wriggled his hands nervously. “Hey, uh, so you know how the Shirogane’s left?”

“How could I forget?” Keith asked dryly. Lance winced.

“Sorry. But, uh, there’s still crazy shit going on.”

“Yeah, my mom mentioned it,” Keith said, hesitantly sitting on the edge of Lance’s bed. “Someone lady’s dog got attacked. She said it was really brutal.”

“About that,” Lance said with a small, awkward laugh. “That was me.”

“Huh?” Keith stared at Lance’s noodle-thin arms. “No fucking way.”

“Hey,” Lance said, smacking his shoulder. “I’m serious.”

“Don’t tell me you’re a vampire too.”

“No, I’m a werewolf.”

They had a stare-off that lasted a full minute. Keith pinched the bridge of his nose.

“You’re joking.”

“I’m serious!”

“Alright, alright,” Keith said, waving a hand at him. Jesus Christ. Garrison was going to turn into a fucking Halloween party at this point.

“Why aren’t you freaking out?” Lance exclaimed, waving his hands around. “Because me? I’m freaking out!”

“Shiro.”

“Oh, right,” Lance murmured. “Not going to lie though, it was the coolest thing I’ve ever done. Like, I turned into a full-on _wolf_! That’s awesome!”

“Don’t get used to it. You’re still a loser on the inside.”

“Not funny.”

Keith shrugged, not feeling sorry at all. Lance scowled, looking like a kicked puppy. Could Keith even still say that? Or would that somehow be mocking him? Whatever. It wasn’t his problem.

“So,” Lance started tentatively, “you’re cool with this?”

“I don’t have a choice,” he reminded Lance. “As long as someone doesn’t tell me they’re an alien next, I’m fine.”

“An alien?” Lance snorted. “I think that’d be you out of anyone.”

“Right, because I’m out of this world.”

“Ew!” Lance squeaked, pulling a face. “Don’t ever say that to me again.”

“Like I’ll listen to you.”

Lance rolled his eyes. “Um, how are things, anyway? I mean, you seem better. But I don’t know.”

“I don’t try to think about it a lot.”

“Have you reached out to him?”

“How?” Keith said with a scoff. “He’s probably blocked my number.”

“So you haven’t tried?”

“What’s the point?” Keith asked, shaking his head. “He made his choice. I’ve gotta make my own.”

“I guess,” Lance said bregrudgingly. “Hey, Keith?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks. For being my friend. You’re the only one I can tell about this.”

Keith swallowed hard. “Uh, you’re welcome. Don’t mention it.”

Lance smiled brilliantly at him,

Keith would never admit it, but Lance’s wolf form was pretty cool. He was smaller than his siblings, more cute than scary, but he’d never say that to Lance’s face.

Apparently, werewolf blood ran in his family. It started with his great-great grandmother and went on from there. Even Lance’s parents were wolves, but apparently they’d given up frolicking in the woods. Lance explained that Marco was the alpha of the pack now. It was weird to hear him refer to his family like that, but hey. It was what it was.

Marco had known all about the Shirogane’s, too. They weren’t the first vampires to settle down in Garrison, which meant there were years of secret history Keith had no idea about. There was some treaty between the wolves and the vampires that prevented either from bringing harm to humans. Marco made sure to point out that that included turning humans into a wolf or a vampire.

“I was surprised they left so suddenly,” Marco had told him. “They didn’t give a clear reason why either.”

A stone settled in Keith’s stomach. “Are there more?”

“Vampires? Probably. You’d be surprised what you’d find in Garrison.”

“Do we have aliens?” Lance asked, hanging upside down on the couch. He looked like a fucking idiot, but it didn’t take much.

“No,” Marco said, sounding as irritated as Keith felt. “Aliens aren’t real.”

But vampires and werewolves _were_. Honestly, and Keith would never tell Hunk this, but aliens made marginally more sense than fucking _Halloween costumes_ come to life. He was lucky werewolves couldn’t read minds, because Lance definitely would’ve bitched about that statement.

“Hunk’s gonna be disappointed,” Lance grumbled. Marco narrowed his eyes.

“You’re not telling anyone else,” he said sharply. He glanced sideways at Keith. “The only reason he knows is because we can trust him.”

“Yeah, and his boyfriend’s a vampire. Or ex-boyfriend, now.”

“Lance,” Keith hissed through clenched teeth. Lance sat upright.

“Shit, sorry. Touch subject.”

Marco looked back at Keith. “He didn’t violate the treaty, did he?”

“No,” Keith said. “Unless you consider a broken heart harm.”

It was meant to be a joke, but the three of them just look at each other. Keith held back a sigh. This is why he didn’t try with people.

Eventually, the day melted into night. Keith swore and got up, not realizing he’d spent so much time with the McClain’s. Krolia was definitely home by now, and she’d turn the entire street upside down to find him.

As he was leaving, Marco grabbed his arm. Keith stopped, raising an eyebrow at him.

“You put yourself in a lot of danger.”

Keith yanked himself away. “Yeah. I heard.”

“Hey,” Marco said firmly. “You should be glad he’s gone. He was putting you at risk.”

“For what? An early death? He wasn’t gonna do anything to me.”

“Temptation is stronger than you think,” Marco said, opening the door. “Goodnight, Keith.”

Keith left without saying goodbye, feeling Marco’s eyes glued to his back as he walked away.

With all of the weird shit thrown his way, Keith really should have been able to expect everything. But seeing Ryou Shirogane waiting on his porch when he got home from school? Yeah, he couldn’t have predicted that even if he _tried_.

He slung his bookbag onto his shoulders and walked towards the porch cautiously. Ryou scowled down at him.

“No helmet?” he asked in disapproval. Keith rolled his eyes.

“Why are you here?” he asked, stepping around Ryou to open the door. “I thought you guys left.”

“Takashi’s dying.”

“What?” His keys dropped to the ground. He picked them up with shaking hands, forcing himself to open the door. Ryou stayed on the porch, arms crossed over his chest. Keith snorted. “What, do you need an invitation?”

This time, Ryou was the one to roll his eyes as he stepped inside. Even when Keith closed the door, he stood with his back against the wall. It was like Keith had some contagious disease or something.

“Is he actually dying?”

“Maybe,” Ryou said. He looked Keith up and down. “Apparently, my brother’s gotten attached to you.”

“Oh.”

“He refuses to feed. He’s starving himself.”

“Why?” Keith asked. Ryou gave him a pointed look. “Hey, that was his choice. Not mine.”

“He was worried about you, you ungrateful prick,” Ryou seethed. “If it wasn’t for him, Kuro would’ve ripped you from limb to limb.”

Keith dropped his bag down to the ground. “So. You came here to deliver the news?”

“Not quite,” Ryou said, a pinched expression on his face. “I need your help.”

“For what?”

“If my brother dies, I’ll kill you myself.” It was more of a promise than a threat.

“Isn’t that violating the treaty?” Keith replied mindlessly. Ryou’s firm stance wavered just so.

“How do you know about that?”

“What? Oh. Lance’s a werewolf.”

“I didn’t think you’d get so close to vermin.”

Keith wasn’t sure if he was laughing because of Ryou’s face, or the fact that he’d said _vermin_. Because honestly, when’s the last time anyone used that in regular conversation? Or even at all? Ryou’s expression remained as impassive as ever, though, and Keith’s laughter died off.

“Not a fan of jokes?”

“Only when they’re funny.”

“Hm,” Keith considered that. “Not bad.”

“So?” Ryou urged. “Are you helping or not?”

“I don’t have a choice, do I?”

Ryou’s silence was answer enough.

Keith didn’t know where the hell he was. Ryou, unlike Shiro, couldn’t give two shits about Keith’s safety. Which meant he was clinging to his back like a goddamn monkey, holding on for dear life. The world streaked by them in an array of colors, everything going too fast for Keith to recognize anything. It was more exciting than it was terrifying, but Ryou wouldn’t probably punch his teeth out for saying something like that.

He made a mental note to ask Shiro for a piggyback ride. Provided he was still kicking, and not all withered up and crumbly. He hadn’t realized they’d stopped until Ryou all but dropped him onto the ground.

“We’re here,” he said gruffly. Keith wouldn’t be surprised if he started scrubbing himself to get rid of all that human stench. Or whatever it was about Keith that pissed him off.

“Oh, right,” Keith mumbled to himself, staring up at the giant house. “You’re _rich_.”

Ryou smirked and walked to the front door. The house was all dark walls and huge, floor-to-ceiling glass windows. As far as Keith could tell, they didn’t have any neighbors. They were up in the mountains, which Keith could just barely make out if he squinted into the distance.

“What the hell? You actually brought him?”

He turned to see Kuro standing at the top of the stairs. He stepped down, somehow looking like he was walking the runway instead of going down the stairs. Vampire beauty and grace, maybe.

“I said I would,” Ryou said, glowering at him. “Was I supposed to let Takashi waste away into nothing?”

“Easy, little brother,” Kuro said with a laugh. He looked at Keith then. “Hey. Long time no see.”

“Yeah,” Keith said simply, figuring now was not the time the bring up his near death experience. “Is Shiro around?”

Kuro frowned. “Did Ryou tell you?”

“Yes, but I’m here because I want to be.”

Kuro looked faintly surprised.

“If you say so,” he answered. He stepped aside. “He’s upstairs.”

Keith swallowed hard and climbed up the steps. His feet felt heavy, like they were being dragged down by weights. By the time he reached the landing, even his knees felt like they were going to collapse. He balled his hands into fists and forced himself to walk down the hallway, passing by a few open doors until he finally saw Shiro.

He sat with his back to the door, hunched over himself. He looked smaller somehow, like part of him had been physically sucked away. Maybe this hadn’t been easy for him, at least not like how Keith told himself it was.

“Why are you here?”

Keith narrowed his eyes.

“How’d you know it was me?”

“I can hear your heartbeat.”

“But not my thoughts.”

“No,” Shiro said. “Not that.”

He didn’t turn around, so Keith stepped into his room. It was like the rest of the house, bare of anything like pictures or decorations. Everything felt cold about it, like it wasn’t even a house. Even the bed was covered in stiff white sheets, like they were in a hospital.

He sat next to Shiro, close enough that their arms touched. Up close, he really did look like a dying man. If he could die, that was. His face looked thinner than before, and his pale skin didn’t do him any favors in the whole healthy glow department. His eyes had huge bags under them, like he was recovering from a broken nose. When his eyes lifted to meet Keith’s, they were dark and lifeless.

A chill raced down the length of Keith’s spine.

“Shiro?”

“Why’d you come back?” He turned away from Keith, staring out at the thick forest beyond his window.

“Ryou said you haven’t fed.”

“What’s the point?” Shiro asked quietly. “I hurt you.”

“Not purposely,” Keith said. He bit his lip. “I’m sorry, okay? I know you were trying to protect me. I just…got stubborn, I guess.”

Shiro still avoided eye contact.

“I want you to be safe,” he whispered. “You can’t have that with me.”

“But I do,” Keith said, feeling his stomach twist sharply. “You make me feel safe, Shiro.”

“How?” Shiro asked, laughing bitterly. “You’ll have nothing but pain because of me.”

“Because…I think I love you.”

He hadn’t though about it before. Not ever. But now, it seemed like the right thing to say. It felt like the truth. Even so, he wasn’t that surprised about it. It felt like he’d just said that sky was blue, or that Garrison was in Arizona. Like he was just stating some well-established fact, something that no one would dare to question.

Shiro’s head snapped towards him, fast enough to give Keith whiplash. He looked like he wanted to say something, but nothing ever came out of his mouth. Keith leaned forward, slow enough to give him an out, but Shiro didn’t pull away.

Shiro’s lips were familiar. Soft, slightly cold, but promising warmth somehow. It felt good. It felt like coming home after a long journey. If he didn’t have to breathe, he’d probably kiss Shiro forever.

“Come back to me,” he said, tangling his fingers into the soft hair at the nape of Shiro’s neck. “Please.”

He hated that word, mostly because it never changed anything. But he felt like maybe this time it would work. Or, at least, he hoped it would. If it didn’t, Keith had no idea what he’d do.

“Keith,” Shiro said warningly, pulling back. “I _can’t_.”

Keith took a deep breath. “Because I’m human?”

Shiro didn’t answer, but it wasn’t like he needed to.

“Then…make me like you.”

Shiro’s eyes widened. “What?”

“Turn me into a vampire, Shiro.”

“Absolutely not,” Shiro said, clenching his jaw. He was doing it again, Keith realized. Shiro was pushing him out again.

“There wouldn’t be a problem then, right?”

“I’m not turning you into a monster, Keith!”

“Is that what you think you are?” Keith shot back.

“Well, what _else_ would you call me?”

“Anything but that,” he admitted. Shiro shook his head.

“I’m not taking your life from you.”

“What if I said you were my life?”

“I’m not. Stop it.”

“You can’t tell me how to feel, Shiro.”

“Maybe not. But I can tell you that you don’t need all of this. Just forget about me, okay?”

“You missed me, right? That’s why you tried to die. Don’t act like I’m the only one who wants this.”

“I can’t just turn you into a vampire, Keith,” Shiro said, running a hand through his hair. “That’s not how it works.”

“Because of the treaty?” Just like Ryou, Shiro looked surprised. “I know all about it.”

“Then you understand.”

“What if I wanted you to? That’s different, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know,” Shiro grumbled. “I don’t think this thing has loopholes.”

“Then we’ll make one,” Keith said definitively. “Look, Shiro. I’m not going anywhere, okay? You can’t make me leave.”

Shiro exhaled loudly. “I was afraid you’d say that.”

“So?”

“Let me think about it.”

“That’s not a no.”

“It isn’t a yes either,” Shiro pointed out. When Keith scowled, he lazily twined their pinkies together. “Hey.”

“What?”

“I think I love you too.”

Keith bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from smiling.

“I know, you big idiot.”

Shiro smiled, and somehow it was the best thing Keith had seen in months.

“Promise you won’t leave again?” he asked.

“Promise,” Shiro said, squeezing his finger tight.

Keith knew it was the truth.


End file.
